In a blistering address before the European Union summit, Giorgia Meloni slammed the United States‑Russia diesel pact, warning that the 300,000‑tonne shipment could bankroll Moscow’s war machine.
The deal, announced last week, will see Russia export more than 300,000 metric tonnes of diesel to the United States and global markets, Trump said it would lower fuel costs for Americans ahead of mid‑term elections.
Meloni urged the 27‑member bloc to appoint a single representative to the Russia‑Ukraine talks, suggesting the E3 coalition of France, Germany and the United Kingdom could be given an official mandate to negotiate on Europe’s behalf.
The EU summit, slated for Thursday in Brussels, will focus on Ukraine financing, with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledging to make the war‑funding agenda central to the meeting.
Zelenskyy condemned the easing of sanctions, saying gifts to Putin would not bring peace and that skipping sanctions until 2027 would signal weakness, while Moscow’s Alexander Novak hinted the country could supply up to 3.5 million tonnes of diesel a month by year‑end.